Mission Prep graduates 73 students in a special drive-in ceremony
Mission Prep traditionally celebrates its graduation at Mission Plaza near the historic church.
But this year, due to coronavirus, the school relocated its ceremony to the Madonna Meadows at the Madonna Inn, where it held a drive-in ceremony on Friday, June 5.
That meant speakers presented on a stage, and graduates remained in their vehicles until being called up to receive their diplomas.
The school’s commencement included 73 seniors.
Speakers who presented on stage included Principal Michael Susank and valedictorian Bryce Hilton, who addressed the parked audience that lined the grassy field near the landmark inn.
Kylie Brewer and Karl Schumacher were the two salutatorians.
Twenty-six of the 73 students earned grade-point averages above 4.0, with Hilton earning a 4.82 GPA.
“Mission Prep strives to form graduates who are becoming women and men for others,” Susank told The Tribune in a statement. “We admit children and we graduate the young women and men who will move the world.”
Susank said the class of 2020 lived up to lofty goals and over the past four years were “immersed in a culture of care and accountability that includes a strong partnership between school and family.”
Highlights of the Class of 2020
This year’s class included 53 students moving on to four-year universities with most of the rest attending Cuesta College. Of those graduating, 98% overall are continuing on to college.
More than $60,000 in local scholarships was awarded.
“An ‘A’ in any college prep course at MCP takes hours and hours of student dedication, for an entire semester,” Susank said in an email. “Our student body is made up of students (and families) who, from the moment they enter high school until the day they graduate, are focused on a college education immediately after high school.”
Susank said it takes an “entire school of teachers, kids and families who have bought into a culture of care and accountability.”
“I have had the privilege of leading this class for each of the four years of their high school experience, and never have I been more proud of a graduating class,” Susank said. “They totally embody the mission of our school, and I know that they will continue to seek their own excellence and the pursuit of God’s kingdom here on earth.”
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 8:07 PM.
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